Local Company Hopes New Technology Will Someday Go Lunar
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Welcome to the moon! At least, that's the scenario as the model of a lunar landing ship enters a gravel pit owned by the LaFarge Company of Munhall.
When the landing actually takes place - still a couple of years away - the landing craft's computers will control lunar rovers like one built by Astrobotic Technology and CMU, and a smaller version built by team Hakuto of Japan.
"We're doing a field test to make sure our communication systems are working, and our rovers are re-communicating back to home base," explains Astrobotic CEO John Thornton. "To make sure the whole line of communication between Earth and the moon is working for our flight."
In a break from the past, a private company will team up with NASA for a different approach to moon exploration.
"We're like a UPS or FedEx to the moon," Thornton adds. "We'll take packages from around the world. We bolt them up on our landing craft, and we fly and land them on the moon."
Packages range from personal mementoes to the ashes of loved ones. The money that is raised from deliveries will help pay for the project.
They selected a gravel pit for testing because it simulates the lunar landing site of Lac Mortis: the Lake of Death.
Program manager Fraser Kitchell says as many as eight rovers will be aboard the lander. The race to the moon will culminate with a race on the moon.
"Once they get to the end of that 500 meters, they'll begin to take an eight-minute HD video," Kitchell says. "And then they'll transmit that back through the lander to earth. The first team to rove that 500 meters and send back that video wins the 'X Prize.'"
The prize is $30 million, funded by Google. But Thornton says the ultimate goal is much loftier.
"Our goal is to make the moon accessible to the world," he says.
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